java - How to uninstall plugins in Eclipse 3.4.X or higher

Question

The GUI for managing plugins in Eclipse got a bit of an overhaul in version 3.4.0. This GUI is accessed via the "Software Updates..." option in the Help menu.

The option to remove the selected Mylyn plugin is greyed out. In fact, this is true of virtually every installed plugin. I know that the Mylyn plugins are optional, so why amn't I provided with an option to remove them?

Answer 1

The following text is quoted from the Eclipse help docs:

The Uninstall wizard allows you to review and uninstall items in your configuration. This wizard is shown when you select items and press Uninstall... from the Installed Software page. To uninstall software from your system:

1. Click Help > About and then click Installation Details... to open a dialog showing pages that provide more detail about your installation.

2. Click the Installed Software tab to see a list of the software items that you have installed into your system.

3. Select the items that you wish to uninstall.

   Click Uninstall...

The Uninstall Details page will show you a list of the items that will be uninstalled. Expanding each item will show what additional items (if any) will be uninstalled as a result of your choice.

If you change your mind about which items should be uninstalled, you may click Back to see a checkmark list of the items you selected before. You may check and uncheck different items in the list, and click Next when you are ready to continue.

5. Click Finish to start the uninstall.

Once all of the software is uninstalled successfully, you will be prompted to restart for the Workbench. Click Yes when asked to exit and restart the Workbench for the changes to take effect.